CURB APPEAL!! Does it make a difference how cute your home is when someone pulls up to it, when you’re selling your home? Hi, I’m Tanja Odzak, Our East Bay Home brokered by eXp Realty… and I sell homes in the East Bay on both sides of the tunnel.
As a real estate agent, I often consult sellers on what they can do to improve the curb appeal of their homes as they enter the marketplace. Making a good first impression is absolutely important and does make a huge difference, especially in a shifting market where there is much more competition, and there aren’t as many buyers. If the front of your home lacks curb appeal, it won’t matter how wonderful the inside of your property is staged. If your home looks terrible on the outside, some buyers won’t even want to see it on the inside. I’ve had buyers ask to leave… literally before I even parked! So, let’s review a few things you can do to spruce up your curb appeal.
- Get rid of the cobwebs. You don’t want your home to look creepy and unkempt. Cobwebs can appear in unexpected places, corners of the rooms, and cozy nooks of your home that no one can reach. A good power washing will help eliminate the webs, dust, and other dirt from the exterior of your home.
- Get rid of that white plastic furniture. Yes, plastic furniture is affordable and easy to care for, but it certainly can lower your curb appeal. According to Catherine Mack, co-owner of the House Buyer Network, “If you cannot afford to replace plastic furniture with high-end pieces, it is best to store them away when not in use and until your home is sold.” This means that less is more!
- Clean dirty windows and shutters. As a homeowner, you probably don’t notice how the exterior windows or shutters look from the outside. But, as a potential buyer or someone passing by, they can take notice. Dirty windows can make a home’s front exterior look old and unkempt. Always take the time to clean them to get the extra added gleam to your home.
- Clear the driveway of old cars, junk, and trash bins. When someone pulls up to a property, its not attractive to see a bunch of junk in a driveway or in front of the home, like trash debris, garbage and recycling bins, piles of decaying leaves, or rundown vehicles. Make sure to get those old cars out of there and pull the trash cans to the side yard or garage if possible. Consider cleaning up oil stains, sealing concrete cracks, and maybe resealing your driveway.
- Spruce up the front yard! Having to redo landscaping can be very expensive. Most of the time, weeding, some pruning, and throwing down some bark or mulch in areas that need attention can do wonders and add freshness to your yard.
I hope this was helpful. If you want more tips on ways to enhance your property’s curb appeal before you list, give us a call to chat, and we would be happy to share tips and tricks, as well as provide you with a local market update.
And if you’re thinking about selling, ask me about my tiered home selling plans where you get to pick which real estate services you want and the fee you pay… Most of the them offering my super duper digital marketing that… no one else does in our area. I’m Tanja and I sell houses. I offer simplified and transparent choices!
I’m a Top Producing Realtor® in the OAKLAND / BERKELEY / EAST BAY AREA. I’ve been in the San Francisco East Bay Area since I came up to do my undergrad at UC Berkeley (a long time ago!), with a short stint at UC Davis while getting my Master’s. I take my duties as a Realtor® and Fiduciary very seriously, I enjoy educating my sellers and buyers along the way. Putting People, Before Profit.
Why not check out one of my no-obligation, online, On-Demand, virtual Real Estate Seminars?
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